Little Boots
by warrior-girl17
Summary: When the team gets called on a case that looks open and shut it turns out to be anything but. With a connection to Gibbs past it puts a strain on the team.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or its characters and am making no profit from this. I am just playing in their sand box for a while. Not beted all mistakes are mine.**

All was dark in the neighborhood full of small suburban homes before the blinding flash and deafening boom of an explosion tore one of them apart. With debris of a once tidy little house now tossed hap hazardly across its manicured lawn neighbors lights came on and sirens sounded in the distance. In no time the whole area was ablaze in lights and buzzing with people. As small fires were tended to the search for victims began. Many flash light beams swept the bits and pieces searching until one came to rest shakingly on a small bloody hand sticking out from under a pile of rubble.

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Gibbs had been the first on the scene of course followed shortly by DiNozzo and Ziva with McGee arriving right before Ducky. By then a perimeter had been set up to keep the on lookers out and preserve the scene. Gibbs had already handed out assignments to his team and they were hard at work when Ducky and his assistant Palmer got a gurney over to Gibbs and two tarps on the ground.

"What unfortunate souls are we working with Jethro?" Ducky asked as Palmer stooped down to lift the tops of the tarps so Ducky could have a look.

"We don't know yet Duck but that is where you come in." Gibbs sounded very impatient and gestured down at the now uncovered tarps.

"Oh my" Ducky's brow furrowed in confusion as he saw the charred remains of two people. "I can see why there was no immediate ID. Who are they supposed to be?"

"Well the house that exploded is registered to a Ms. Holland, widowed who is currently in Florida. She rented the house out. As far as we know it was currently occupied by a woman named Rachel, her Navy officer boyfriend Harold and her daughter Selene."

"But there are only two bodies here," Ducky looked back to Gibbs.

"The girl survived" Gibbs pointed at an ambulance still on the curb alongside the scene. "They are still patching her up. From what I hear she is being very uncooperative."

"Perhaps I could get a look at her when I am done with these two." With that Ducky slowly stooped down for a closer look at the bodies. Gibbs waited while Ducky lifted the tarps in different places and put on gloves and poked at the bodies. "Well we are at least dealing with a male and female but I will of course need a full autopsy to give you identity and a positive cause of death." Ducky stood back up and nodded at Palmer. "Can you get these two into the bags and on the gurney without me Mr. Palmer?"

"It might take me a few minutes but I'm sure I'll do fine" Palmer answered already pulling a body bag from the gurney.

"Good Lad, now if you will excuse me Jethro I am going to have a look at our survivor." With that he started towards the ambulance. As he walked over Gibbs followed him with his eyes before turning his attention to Palmer. The man had already gotten half the female body into the bag tarp and all. Confident that he was doing fine he went over to watch his team. DiNozzo was sketching quickly on a large pad as Ziva snapped pictures with a camera. McGee was over in a more burned out part of the debris collecting evidence and placing the pieces he found in various evidence bags. Walking around surveying the area Gibbs spotted a LOE off to one side by one of the last remaining patrol cars on the scene. Quickly making his way over the cop spotted him and seemed a bit apprehensive as he approached. The cop must have heard of him, otherwise he wouldn't know what was coming, this cop did.

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Tony was sketching as fast but as accurately as possible in order to keep up with Ziva and to get this over with. He hated being woken early in the morning for a case and knew that their boss didn't like it either even know he would never complain or let on. But this was worse as this case involved a kid. Every case that involved a kid was bad, worse than other cases they worked. Gibbs would want it solved quickly so he could get his hands on the perpetrator. As he flipped the page in his large sketch book Ziva approached with her camera.

"I think this will be an open and close case yes" Ziva took a picture of something close to Tony, blinding him momentarily and making him blink.

"Open and shut, and why do you say that?" Tony corrected as he continued to sketch and take a few notes.

"There is a survivor who can tell us what happened. There seems to be plenty of evidence" Ziva glanced at McGee who had moved to another spot but was still bagging bit and pieces and taking swabs.

"True but you know as well as I do some things are never as clear as they seem."

Ziva nodded and walked away to take more pictures leaving him to finish sketching this corner of the scene.

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Ducky reached the ambulance just in time to see a stethoscope go flying out the back open door.

"AGH!" a cry followed and a grunt and some banging. Ducky peered inside the back to see a harried paramedic trying to hold a young girl as another tried to look her over. The girl squirmed as the paramedic in front of her reached behind her to pull the stethoscope from his partner's neck. Once he had it he places the buds in his ears and slipped the disk under a blood pressure cuff on her arm. He was leaning away as her hands flailed to reach him but his partner held her in a tight hug. After a few moments he let out a loud sigh and shook his head pulling the stethoscope away.

"This isn't working Mark I'm gonna have to give her a sedative" the paramedic told his partner. He turned to one of the bins attached to a shelf next to his head and pulled out a syringe. He scooted over and reached a small metal door on the wall. Opening it to show a small cooling unit, he pulled out a tiny round bottle full of clear liquid. He checked the label before gently rolling it in his palm a moment then turned it upside down. Sliding the needle in he withdrew a half dose and returned the bottle to the unit closing the door. He slid back over to his partner and the girl who redoubled her efforts to get away from them. She whined as the paramedic Mark holding her tightened his grip. The other took her arm in one hand to steady it and pushed the needle into her arm, and thumbed the plunger down. He pulled the needle out and grabbed a tissue to hold over the dot of blood that welled up. Within a minute the girl's struggling slowed before stopping completely and she sagged in Mark's arms. Reapplying the stethoscope the lead paramedic listened to her heart rate and took a blood pressure reading. Ducky cleared his throat to get their attention as the paramedic was writing down the information.

"Can I help you?" The lead paramedic turned to Ducky and he could see the name Jacob on his uniform.

"I'm the ME for this unfortunate case and I wanted to talk to the girl. Was it really necessary to sedate her instead of waiting for her to calm down?" Ducky was somewhat stern as he questioned them.

"I think so, she has been struggling since she woke up. As for talking to her I wish you better luck then we had. She hasn't said a word, just yells and screams." Jacob looked Ducky over and turned back to his writing.

"I see, well then permit me to take her off your hands. If you, Mark, would be so kind as to carry her over to my van." Ducky backed up but held a hard gaze on them silently telling them he disapproved and there would be no argument from them. Mark looked back and forth between Ducky and Jacob for a moment before moving with the girl towards the door and carefully getting out. "Over there and be careful" Ducky pointed out his van to which Palmer was at the back of loading one of the gurneys into it. As Mark started off Ducky looked around for Gibbs spotting him with a stammering LEO. He arrived at Gibb's side just as the flustered looking cop was dismissed. "Jethro I do believe we have a slight problem."

**Well that's it for the first chapter, what do you think? Please review and I will update soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

Palmer was surprised to say the least when a paramedic approached him holding a girl in his arms. He had been informed on the way over that out of all the occupants of the now destroyed home one had survived. But if the girl was the survivor why was the paramedic bringing her to him? She should be treated and on her way to the hospital. They worry flashed through him as he noticed she was limp and seemed to be unresponsive. If she had died and that was why she was brought to him Dr. Mallard would not be pleased. Neither would Gibbs. But as the paramedic stopped next to him he could see the faint rise and fall of the girl's chest indicating that she was alive, just unconscious.

"The ME told me to bring the girl to you, said he was taking custody. Where do you want me to put her?" the paramedic took a brief wincing look at the gurney with the body bag in the back of the van before looking at Palmer.

"Um" Palmer had to think. There was only so much room in the cab of the van but with the girl unconscious she would likely need to be stretched out. There was another gurney in the back but what if she woke up on the trip back to base? He didn't think it would be that pleasant to be next to the other bodies, but she couldn't lay out in the cab. "Put her up front for now," Palmer walked to the passenger door and opened it. She could stay here until he was done and it was time to leave or she woke up first. The paramedic laid her on the seat nodded his head at Palmer and left with a "good luck" called back. Palmer rubbed the back of his neck them with a sigh went back to loading the last gurney into the back of the van.

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It took another half hour before the team had finished their assignments and helped each other secure all the evidence. They then saw Gibbs and Ducky talking and decided to wait by the car for the older men to finish. From the frown on Ducky's face and the scowl on Gibb's they didn't want to interrupt. They didn't have long to wait until Gibbs finally shook his head and started heading over to them. He didn't even ask if they were done as it was the only reason they should be hanging around the car. They all got in and hastily buckled their seatbelts as Gibbs got in without a word. The drive back was very quick and nerve wrecking for the team as Gibbs drove in his usual fashion. Although the entrance onto the navy yard and abrupt stop in the parking garage were signs of Gibbs frustration.

"DiNozzo, I want an extensive background on the victims. McGee take the evidence down to Abby and help her get started processing. Ziva start tracing their movements for the past few days, I want to know where they went and who they went with whenever they weren't home." Gibbs barked out his orders as the rode the elevator up to their office floor. As soon as it opened the team was off on their new assignments. They didn't want to get tangled up in Gibbs bad mood. Gibbs had stayed in the elevator and as soon as his team stepped off hit the button for autopsy. Ducky should be arriving any minute as he drove much slower then Gibbs. Sure enough when the elevator door opened Ducky and Palmer were walking in from the receiving dock. Palmer was carrying the girl he had seen earlier at the scene. Gibbs moved ahead and held the door to autopsy open for the men.

"Ah thank you Jethro" Ducky said as they passed by. Bucky headed to his office and opened the door, "this way Mr. Palmer. Let's get her set up where it's a little more comfortable shall we."

Palmer followed Ducky in and placed the girl on the narrow couch along the wall in the office. "I'll get the bodies ready," Palmer said and hurried to do so leaving the two men alone again.

"She going to wake up any time soon?" Gibbs asked as he moved to stand just inside the office door. Ducky had gotten out one of his numerous medical bags and was beginning to check the girl over again.

"I don't know Jethero, it could be soon or a few hours, but my guess would be on later. The girl has had a traumatic experience, and coupled with her injuries and rough handling her body will try to pull as much rest as it can out of her sedated state. I will get started on the autopsies and call you if anything changes in her condition. But right now all we can do for her is to wait" Ducky talked as he conducted his quick assessment. Satisfied with what he found he put his bag away and got up looking at Gibbs. "You just go find who did this and I'll work as fast as I can" Ducky walked over to Gibbs.

"Call as soon as you find anything on the victims or any change in the girl's condition. I need to talk to her," Gibbs moved out of Ducky's way and they moved over to the steal examination tables where Palmer had parked the gurneys and was lifting the first body onto the table.

"Of course, now go, go" Ducky shooed him away as he turned to Palmer and the bodies on the tables Palmer having finished getting them both out of the bags and off the gurneys. Gibbs left autopsy and headed back to the bullpen. DiNozzo and Ziva had been working for ten minutes already, they better have something. As the elevator doors closed he saw Ducky and Palmer putting on their aprons and gloves. It wouldn't be long now for the facts to start rolling in.

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McGee used the stairs to head down to Abby's lab as Gibbs was still in the elevator and he didn't feel like being near their boss at the moment. Gibbs was not at all happy about this case and it showed. Thus he and the rest of the team would work quickly round the clock to solve it and lighten the mood which would ease the tension they would all be facing. Upon entering Abby's his ears were assaulted with the blasting of bass pounding metal music. It was something he hadn't heard before but wasn't in the mood to continue doing so. He managed to turn it off without dropping the box of evidence he had been carrying. Abby spun around from her seat at one of her computers and opened her mouth to protest.

"Gibbs wants this looked at ASAP" he cut her off as he brought the box over to her larger exam tables and set it down.

"This is all from the case with the little girl?" Abby came over and looked into the box.

"Yeah, and you know how Gibbs is about cases that involve kids" he ducked his head. "Anyway, I'm here to help you out and get you started, then I'm sure Gibbs with find something else for me to look at."

"Well then let's get started; don't want to keep the boss man waiting." Abby started unpacking the box placing the bags and smaller boxes in piles. "I heard the girl survived the explosion" Abby said as they unpacked.

"Yeah, but she's pretty banged up, the EMT's were still here patching her up when we got there."

"That is so sad nobody should be hurting kids, I'll work extra hard to catch this jerk." Abby reinforced this statement by tearing open one of the evidence bags a bit forcefully.

McGee could tell this was going to be an interesting morning between Abby and Gibb's anger at the case and pressure to solve it quickly.

**Sorry for the short chapter but RL got in the way. The next chapter will be longer, featuring all characters, more action, and clues about the case and our mystery girl.**


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